Ghost Towns in Carteret County, North Carolina

Carteret County, North Carolina, is home to 2 documented ghost towns — a concentrated dose of boom-and-bust history in a single county. Southern ghost towns rose with cotton, timber, oil, and river commerce — and fell to floods, fires, changing trade routes, and the boll weevil. The names to know include Diamond City, Portsmouth.

Where conditions are verified, expect 1 foundations only and 1 preserved sites. 2 towns are known to be publicly accessible — for the rest, verify land ownership before you go. Every town below gets its own full guide — with maps, visitor notes, and FAQs.